Compost fire creates massive smoke cloud

North Kitsap Fire & Rescue firefighter Garren Dukes applies water to a large smoldering pile of stumps at a compositing facility between Kingston and Hansville on Sunday.(Photo: North Kitsap Fire & Rescue)

KINGSTON — A fire in a pile of woody debris at a composting plant on Sunday created a large cloud of smoke visible throughout the area.

North Kitsap Fire & Rescue responded about 9:30 a.m. to reports of smoke and flames in a 50,000-cubic-foot pile of stumps and other vegetation at Olympic Organics, a composting facility located between Kingston and Hansville.

Getting the fire under control required hours of work and assistance from Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island fire departments, according to Michele Laboda, NKFR spokeswoman. The cause was determined to be heat generated from the decomposition of organic materials.

Employees from Olympic Organics and nearby Logan Construction helped firefighters suppress the fire, which burned in about one-third of the pile. Heavy equipment was used to pull apart the woody debris, giving crews access to the fire and separating out material that was not yet on fire. More than 13,000 gallons of water were used to fight the fire.

Crews cleared the scene shortly after 3 p.m. The fire still smoldered in a 50-foot-by-50-foot area. The compost company was required to post a watch, and firefighters checked back throughout the day.

There were no injuries.

Firefighters from three fire departments responded to Sunday's second-alarm brush fire in a large pile of stumps at a composting facility between Kingston and Hansville. The fire was caused by heat from the breakdown of organic materials, according to North Kitsap Fire & Rescue.(Photo: North Kitsap Fire & Rescue)